Try To Find Out What Is Pleasing To The Lord

Our text for this morning is Ephesians 5:1-10.

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, 2 and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

3 But fornication and impurity of any kind, or greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Entirely out of place is obscene, silly, and vulgar talk; but instead, let there be thanksgiving. 5 Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure person, or one who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be associated with them. 8 For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light-- 9 for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. 10 Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord.

I hope you have all seen the movie that won the Oscar for best picture way back in 1986, Chariots of Fire. It had a wonderful moment of profound Christian theology in it.

The movie told the story of Eric LIDdell, a Scottish missionary to China about 90 years ago, a man who was totally dedicated to his God. His time came for a year of furlough back in Scotland. As missionaries do, he used that time to preach in different churches and raise financial support and prayer support for his work in China. But he also was very involved in foot races at events like county fairs. He was an outstanding runner. In fact he won a spot on the British national Olympic team as a runner and won a gold medal in the 400 meters at the 1924 Olympics in Paris. But at one point, early on in the movie, someone criticized him, saying that a missionary shouldn’t waste time in trivial pursuits like running in foot races. And Eric LIDdell gave the most beautiful answer. He said, "God made me fast. And when I run I feel his pleasure."

Have you had moments when you felt your life brought pleasure to God? Have you been able to feel God's pleasure?

That may be difficult for some of us. God has installed a conscience in each one of us. Its job is to give us feedback on how we are doing, like the warning lights and gauges on our cars. When we do wrong, it’s our conscience’s job to accuse us, to warn us. We all need that.

And when we do right our conscience’s job is to affirm us, to give us that good feeling that we are right where we are supposed to be.

But some of us have consciences stuck on the accuse side. We just keep assuming what we do is inadequate, flawed, not good enough. And when our conscience is stuck like that, it can feel like God is stuck, too, that God is stuck in accusing mode and just can never accept us.

Some people have gotten a picture of God as a grumpy old book keeper who writes down every mistake we make, never losing an entry, never forgetting, never forgiving, and never showing any love for us.

But that’s not the God of the Bible. The Bible describes God as loving and joyful and good hearted. The Old Testament prophet, Zephaniah, wrote about God's pleasure in his people, Israel. In chapter 3, verse 17, Zephaniah wrote: "The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." That's a big hearted God isn't it? I can love a God like that.

And Eric LIDdell had experienced God's pleasure. In fact our text from Ephesians for this morning, tells us all to work at that. In Ephesians 5:10, it tells us to "Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord." That's a simple and straightforward command isn't it? No complicated theology here, just a very simple research project. "Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord."

In Paul's First letter to the Thessalonians, chapter 4, verse 1, it looks like he had specifically instructed the church in Thessalonica in how to please God. He wrote, "Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and more." So this morning, if there is one thing I want you to take away with you, it is that we can learn to bring pleasure to God's heart.